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Don Manuel was at first too spent a ed him farther and farther back into this world from which he had so nearly slipped, he was content to lie still and take the goods the gods provided

She ith him for the present That sufficed Whether he lived or died he did not care a hand's turn; but the while Fate flipped a coin to determine whether it should be life or death for him, he had Valencia's love as he feared he would never have it in case he recovered

For these days she lived for hiht and desire had been for him On this his soul fed, since he felt that, as they slipped back into the ordinary tide of life, she would withdraw herself gently but surely froainst the conviction that she loved his rival, the Colorado claimant to the valley He had tried to persuade himself that her interest in the miner was natural under the circumstances and entirely independent of sentiment But in the bottom of his heart such assurances did not convince

"You will be able to sit up in a few days It's wonderful how you have i his pillow

"Yes, I shall be well soon You will be relieved of entle sadness

"As if I wanted to be," she reproved softly, her hand sood to me You don't want to be rid of me But it's best you should be I have had all of you that's good for me, my cousin, unless I could have more than I dare hope"

She looked through theat the sunlit war time, said: "Must we talk of that, Manuel?"

"No, niña--not if I auessed; but I uess right? That it can never be"

She turned dim eyes on him and nodded A lump had risen to her throat that forbade speech

"I can still say, dearest, that I alad to have loved you," he answered cheerfully, after an instant's silence "And I can promise that I shall trouble you noI should like to tell you first," she said with pretty timidity "How proud I am that such a man could have loved irl not to--care for you--that way"